What’s Up & Coming in the World of Wellness: Direct from the Up-&-Comer ND Marnie Luck

Have you heard of The Vagina Dialogues yet? It’s a series of interactive and empowering events to engage and connect in a dialogue about the women's movement and women's health, with all proceeds going to support local women's organizations.

I connected with this seriously humble, yet remarkably progressive and wise, trending wellness influencer to get her take on all things up-and-coming as it matters to our health RIGHT NOW.

The insights she has in store for us are seriously worth a read, so get comfortable and enjoy…

Marnie’s Top 3 Picks From the Green Living Show

1. Water Filtration

There’s growing awareness about the purity (or lack thereof) of our tap water. From fluoride to used toilet paper contaminants (that last one I learned from David Wolfe - ew!), it’s always best to opt for spring water whenever and however you can.

With that said, life doesn’t always throw you the option of missioning it to a spring to fill up your very own sacred miron glass bottles (sad but true). For a more accessible but just as clean option, Marnie is a huge fan of the Berkey, which I myself use thanks to Conscious Water (seriously, if you’re going to invest in one - do it through them and you’ll have zero regrets).

While Marnie claims the whole alkaline water trend is sort of a bunch of crap, “It really doesn’t matter” she shares, it’s still important to hydrate with the cleanest and purest water possible, and a good filter like the Berkey makes that easy and accessible.

2. Grow Your Own

It was hard to miss the glowing (literally) Nutritower or AEVA as I walked through the Green Living Show exhibition - this thing is as stunning as it is life-changing, and Marnie is all about how it’s changing our relationship with food.

Beyond the simple fact that having plants helps to purify our homes (naturally removing the carbon monoxide from the air), it’s a great way to reconnect with what you eat!

In fact, did you know that unwashed organic produce contain powerful “elevated biotics” that work to heal your gut and aid your digestion way beyond what any ‘probiotic’ pill could possibly dream of?! Yes. Get excited (you can learn more as I did via Medical Medium here).

Unfortunately, unless you grow your own...even if it’s organic (but from the store) - you’re still probably best to wash your produce, which ends up removing these precious microorganisms that do us such good.

If, however, you manage to grow your own foods (or herbs or even better - microgreens on your countertop!) - then you can reap all the life-boosting benefits of these little fellas.

3. A Flip-Phone

Okay, you probably didn’t find this one at the Green Living Show, but it was Marnie’s delightfully “cheeky” response to my question of the best ‘gadget’ out there today.

“We are overstimulated, and we just need less.” Marnie puts it clearly.

While the hunt for the latest and greatest tech device is certainly a venture I myself can get lost in...it’s somewhat refreshing to be brought back down to reality again.

Our cell phones are just another source of stimulation and one more ‘ping’ to keep us on high alert (think: NOT in rest and digest mode). Taking the time to put your phone away and instead take a walk in the park - a ritual Marnie enjoys for 45 minutes with her dog each and every morning (PRIOR to even checking her phone) - will do you a whole lot more good than any iOS software update will.

With that aside, if you MUST know what Marnie will admit to kinda digging on the tech scene - it’s the Muse headband. Again, because it’s actively putting you into rest and digest mode. “We need to flex our weak muscles, and we can train them by doing less.” she adds.

Bonus pick: Marnie couldn’t be more impressed with the speakers at the Green Living Show - in particular, Tim Nash’s talk on Sustainable Investing (check out this super cool dude here - I’m going to try to connect with him for an interview soon too!).

Now a few other questions and topics I had the pleasure of getting Marnie’s take on…

Q: What should we all be investing more in?

Here’s the truth: conventional medicine doesn’t always take the most holistic approach to your overall wellness (and that’s an understatement). Finding an integrative and functional practitioner like a Naturopathic Doctor who resonates with you and your journey towards optimal health can not only make attaining your goals easier and more enjoyable - it also takes the burden off of OHIP. So essentially, you’re not just investing in yourself, you’re contributing to the greater good in your community. Nobody dare call you a snob for that.

Just as transformational to your health as well as those around you is putting your money towards good food - i.e. organic, fresh produce. *Pro tip: Marnie offers CSA boxes through Clearwater Farms ready for pick-up conveniently out of her Bloor/Bathurst located office every Wednesday - I’ve already signed up!

Q: Your work focuses a lot on restoring hormonal balance, what’s the most common source of hormone disruption in today’s world, and what can we do to fix it?

The answer is as simple as it is complex: “A burdened liver”.

Why that happens is simply the consequences of exposure. See, it’s important to understand that our liver is what processes our hormones. For example, estrogen is metabolized through our liver, and thus estrogen metabolites can wreak havoc if the liver isn’t in good health.

Marnie’s tips for rehabilitating a burdened liver include:

Hydration (water, water, and more water!).

Healthy and high quality fats and proteins (I think this is a good time to mention that I do sell the purest of the pure, gold standard Extra Virgin Olive Oil direct from a family operation in Greece - check it out here.)

Q: Best detox tip?

One word: POOPING!

Okay, this one is as insightful and meaningful as it is hilarious.

Marnie isn’t a huge fan of all the silly ‘detox’ trends out there, and instead stresses the importance of ensuring appropriate elimination.

“You should poop like a dog, and that means easy to pass, with no stickiness - and no need to wipe!” Marnie explains, as she clarifies that we should all be fully evacuating our bowels on a daily basis.

I for one really appreciate and resonate with Marnie’s full body systems approach to detox, as she explained that if one system is out of place, you can easily do more harm than good while ‘detoxing’. For instance, if you’re going “keto” looking to burn fat, you need to remember that toxins hang out in fat, and thus as you’re ‘burning fat’, you’re likely also releasing fat-soluble toxins into your body, so better have a plan for that!

For more health and wellness goodness that actually makes sense and it’s a drag or bore to read about, I’d really encourage you to check out Marnie’s blog and stay tuned for more of her Vagina Dialogues updates - I hear there’s a video segment coming out soon!